road trip.

Road trips were always an annual event with T and one that we always looked forward to. We'd been camping in Bend, the Olympic Peninsula, Boise, Whitefish- always finding a new area to explore. As we are working our way together, this year marked the first road trip in three years. I've had a plan to go to the Oregon coast this summer for a while now; I've lived in the Northwest for 17 years and never made it before.

We spent the first few nights camping outside of Lincoln City. A little farther south than I wanted to be, but the only campground available to make advance reservations, which is critical on busy summer weekends. The town itself left a little to be desired- a little too big with little of the quaint small beach town vibe I was hoping for. We did an amazing hike on Cascade Head; 3 miles up a bluff to overlook the stunning Pacific Ocean. The days were filled with tasty meals, local beers, great campfires and even kite flying on the beach. On our third day, we headed north to our next stop in Gearhart. We stopped along the way, going to Tillamook Factory for morning ice cream, stopping off for walks in Manzanita, and a beach walk in Cannon Beach to marvel at Haystack Rock. In Gearhart, we were able to drive the car on the beach. Seems so wrong, but it was so much fun!

After Gearhart, we were heading east inland to Willamette Valley to spend a few days wine tasting. The drive into the valley, going through farmland and vineyards is just stunning. Nothing makes this girl happier than sunshine, delicious wine, and good old farmland. Channeling my Asheville friends, we dined at Thistle the first night, and merely asked the chef to feed us. And feed us, they did. We had an incredible meal of local goods, all beautifully prepared, while being taken care of by Emily- one of the owners, who was without a doubt one of the most personable chicks out there.

There were some grand discoveries of new Pinot Noir's- Willamette Valley is THE area for Pinots; they are such a fragile and fickle grape that it's a challenge to find one that suits your palette and your wallet.

Italy- Week 3

I bid farewell to my friends and boarded the train to Lucca, a small town in northern Tuscany where I would be staying for the next 3 days. I was in the beginnings of the nasty cold that Phil had, so I wasn't feeling all that spectacular. It did feel a bit liberating to be going off on my own, and know that I was responsible only for myself for the next 6 days.

I arrived at the Lucca train station, and called Anna, my host, to come and fetch me. We arrived at Al Tondone, her B&B and got settled in. It was a sweet little home, roughly 2 km or so outside of the walled city. There were bikes to use to take into town, and obviously you could walk in. Hmm, ok; I actually had not done a ton of research on where I was staying, as it was the same B&B that Phil and

Paula stayed in. I grabbed a bike, and made my way into town. Now 2 km isn't far at all. However, I

can't tell you the last time I was on a bike, and I wasn't feeling the greatest, the congestion in my head weighing me down a little. And the roads in Lucca are quite narrow and without sidewalks; stop signs and speed limits are optional in Italy. I navigated towards the town, as cars zipped by me, and got myself through the round-a-bout without dying, and into the walled town. It was death defying experience, but I keep giving myself pep talks as I spied grandma's and sweet old men biking the same paths as though they were only people on the road. Truth be told, I was a little rattled by the time I made it into town, and knew there was NO way I could bike or walk home in the dark each night after getting dinner. Especially since the restaurants don't open until 7 or 7:30 for dinner.

After wandering around the city for a few hours, a gelato to make myself feel better, I biked back home. After freshening up, I made my way back into town for dinner at Orti- a restaurant that Anna recommended. If I being completely honest, I felt a little lonely this first day and sorry for myself- for both the cold and the challenge of getting around. So I ordered myself a nice little half bottle of Brunello di Montalcino to go with my fried zucchini flowers and dinner of bistecca ala fiorentina. It was delicious, and more than my one night of lodging! But the extravagance made me feel much better. The next morning I woke feeling much more at ease and spent the day in town, people watching and eating gelato and looking at art and just being. I had an amazing lunch of rabbit cacciatore at another one of Anna's recommendations.

I did make my way over to Pisa one afternoon, an easy 25 minute train ride. While the city itself wasn't all that impressive, seeing the Field of Miracles and the Leaning Tower was. One minute you're walking down a city street and you turn the corner to see yourself staring at the Leaning Tower- and it's just there. I grabbed supplies for a dinner at the house that evening. I spent the evening drinking wine that I had brought from Umbria and eating my afternoon's procurement, and reading. It was quiet and relaxing and lovely. I met a woman staying at the house who was attending a language school for 2 weeks in Florence; I tried to glean information about her current and past ventures (Verona) with language school. I could do that, I thought; that would be pretty fun.

Lucca was a lovely quiet town. I loved that there weren't many Americans here, and for the most part, no one spoke English. I was forced use my Italian, which had negatives and positives. Obviously, being forced to speak Italian helped me hone my tongue better, but when traveling alone,

it made meeting people a little more challenging.

On day 4, I was on the train again for my last leg of the trip, to Cinque Terre. As the train came into

the first town, I'd get glimpses of the sea from the tunnel- it was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. I was staying in town 4, Vernazza, and just steps from the water. The train is the only mode of transport between the towns, but there's also a trail that you can hike between them all as well. I got settled into my room, and then promptly took the train to Montorossa, town 5. The beauty of this place is somewhat indescribable; the Ligurian Sea sparkles a clear blue-green, the rocks jutting from the water, the steep hillsides are planted with grapes of

Sciachetra, the famous wine from this region. Montorossa is the busiest of the towns it seems, and emanates a more resort-y feel. The beaches are a little rocky, the water is warm, and the beaches are filled with sunbathers and vacationers. I took the

boat back, stopping at all of the 5 towns so I could see each one from the waters view. The towns are small and colorful, each one full of character. While in Cinque Terre, I spent my days wandering each village, hiking between the towns, eating great meals (the pesto is amazing, and I had the best minestrone, ever), staring out at the sea, and just taking in all of the natural beauty that surrounded me.

Traveling alone was a good thing. I wasn't necessarily lonely, although there were a few times when it would have been nice to swap stories of my day with someone. I did meet some nice people, including a newly married couple from Georgia. It was empowering in many ways to be forced to figure things out on my own. The reaction I got from people when they found out I was traveling alone was interesting; in general people seemed to be impressed and thought it to be a good thing. I think I learned a few things about myself, and I definitely saw it as both an adventure and an opportunity for growth.

My time in Italy seemed to end so quickly, and before I knew it, I was in the line boarding an airplane for the states. My camera loaded up with over 650 photos, my backpack full of art I purchased throughout my trip from street artists and edible goodies to help remind my appetite of my travels here. As I settled into my seat for the eleven hour flight to NY, all I could think about was what my next adventure might be..

Italy- Week 2

Friday: Friday begins our week of group travel in Umbria, meeting up with Phil & Paula and Toni and Ralph. Scott and I met P & P at the Orvieto train station, so we could get our rental car for the week. Rental car finally secured (a small feat in itself), we were on our way to find Locanda Rosati, the agriturismo that would be our home for the next 7 nights. First impressions of Umbria: green. so green and lush, vineyards and olive trees lining every road. Locanda Rosati was lovely; the farmhouse has been in the family for many years and Giampero began operating it as a agriturismo in 1995. It was an organic farm with a majority of the food coming from the farm itself. Giampero had about 17 acres of olives trees, and the largest parcel was an orchard across the street. There were pears, figs, peaches, and hazelnuts being the main crops.

Saturday: Unfortunately, we were only 5 today as Phil came down with a wicked cold, leaving him bed ridden for the day. We headed out to Orvieto, walking the market and wandering the city. The markets in Italy are quite fascinating and practical. You generally have the usual produce, butcher, and cheese vendors as well as clothing, household and drugstore goods. The markets are once a week, and they are really one-stop shopping. It's a little off putting to think about choosing lingerie in the middle of the town square, but really if you think about it, it's not that much different than shopping in a store. The cathedral in Orvieto is quite beautiful, with it's black and white striped sides.

Sunday: A couple of hill towns on the agenda today, Assisi and Spello topping the list. Assisi was beautiful, the church of St Francis looming at one end. There was a peace parade going on today, one

that's been happening for 50 years. There were close to 100,000 people marching for peace- in any form you chose to march for. Quite remarkable to have so many people participating, but more remarkable that this march has been happening annually for 50 years. Our next town was Spello, and it could have possibly been my favorite. So clean, so quaint and

charming, and so steep the town was! We were on a mission to get lunch before the restaurant closed, and Phil had a particular one in mind. Racing against the clock, we speed walked straight up hill for what felt like a few kilometers-only to find the restaurant closed! A quick adjustment and we were at a nearby spot with an amazing deck looking down from the town. Lush and beautiful, and so quiet. This could be a place I could come and stay for a week, I think. We had a lovely lunch and the rains began, so unfortunately, our time here was brief. The ride home was treacherous- hail and unbelievably hard rains made the drive on the small roads both a challenge and nerve wrecking. Paula was a champ, and got us home safely, where not a drop had fallen. Scott and I had planned on dinner in tonight, and it was just as delicious as the first meal. Assorted bruschetta to begin (radicchio & smoked mozzarella, tomato & basil, and eggplant), pasta with truffles, and fried chicken & rabbit pieces with frites. As soon as the platter of fried came out, I knew Phil was going to be mad they didn't opt in for dinner-fried chicken and fries topping his list of favorite foods!

Monday: We had our cooking class on site this evening, so decided to keep our exploring closer to

home today. We went to Civita, one of the oldest Estruscan towns, about 25 minutes from our place. Unbelievably beautiful; at every turn the views were more beautiful than the last one. Civita has been mostly devoid of residents in the recent past, but people are beginning to move back. Maria is the oldest living resident in Civita, and you could walk her garden and take in the views- which we did. That evening, we had our cooking class with Paolo and Gupal back at the farmhouse. We were watching them prepare the dinner for the evening; it was somewhat frenetic tutorial as Paolo spoke no english and Gupal's english was good, but not great. It was fun to be in the kitchen, getting acquainted with the process of cooking dinner for the guests, drinking wine and frantically taking notes for the recipes. Dinner that evening was a herbed frittata in red sauce, eggplant and tomato pasta, braised beef with a fennel gratin, and a pear chocolate cake. Yum, indeed!

Tuesday: Since Phil was unable to join us for Orvieto, we headed back into the town today to do the

underground city tour. There are 1,200 or more underground 'caves' throughout the city, underneath private homes and we were going to tour two of the public ones. It was fairly interesting and I'm glad we did the tour, but frankly, the Seattle Underground tour is more interesting. We headed out to the Umbrian hills for a little Orvieto wine tasting at Custodi. Two beautiful sisters run this family winery, where they are producing mostly white wine, a little red, and olive oil. The wine was good; we all decided we have a very Washington wine centric palate- but I did enjoy almost all of the wine I had in Italy. Headed back to the farmhouse and each brought wine down for a happy hour- which lasted for many hours.. There was lots of wine drinking, cheese eating, laughing and silliness.

Wednesday: Everyone was ready for a more mellow day today, and I chose to stay at the farmhouse. The sun was shining and it was so lovely to be pool side with my ipod playing and reading for hours, blissfully alone. I wandered up the street when I got hungry and had a nice lunch al fresco then came back to my same spot at the pool and continued to read. Since it was our last evening all together we had one last dinner at the farmhouse.

Thursday: The there were 4.. our day was spent in Tuscany today, with stops in Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino. Driving through Tuscany was picturesque- like most of the trip has been. The fields had been cleared of the wheat and sunflowers, so they were bare and shades of beige. The hills were dotted with vineyards and olive trees, giving a beautiful contrast to the deep color of the barren earth. Old farmhouses sat stoically on the hills, and the cypress trees lined the roads leading the way to their entrances. Montalcino is home to Brunello di Montalcino, one of the more highly regarded red wines in Italy. We did a small tasting at a local wine shop- the wines were delicious and there were definitely a few I would bring home but I was afraid to bring any more glass in my bag. We had a lovely lunch in a small cafe overlooking the valley below, drinking glasses of pink bubbly. Pienza is the home of pecorino; the air was full of the aroma of this cheese, and the wheels of pecorino

lined many shop walls. We bought a small wheel (for 6e- a steal!), to eat that evening, and take home to enjoy. Our last stop was Montelpulciano- yet another beautiful hill town rich with Etruscan history and wine. Had a nice wine tasting in a local shop, and a not so delicious wine tasting at another (we didn't stay to taste through all of the wines- that rarely happens). We would have loved to stay for dinner, but it was early yet and most restaurants don't open for dinner until 7 or 7:30. Since we were a good hour plus back to the farmhouse, we headed back to Umbria to share one last meal and bottle of wine together.

Friday morning came, and I bid farewell to Scott, Phil and Paula. They were heading home on

Saturday, and I was boarding the train to Lucca to begin my final week of travel, and my first experience of traveling in a foreign country alone.

onto the week of solo travel....

Italy- Week 1

Arrival in Italy (Thursday and Friday): Despite having a great flight, hour-wise, I was unable to sleep the entire way over making for a semi-cranky mood when we finally arrived 14 hours. Found our hotel easily enough, and after a shower and change of clothes, Scott and I wandered to a neighborhood trattoria for dinner. A bottle of wine, salads, pizza and the sudden realization that we made it to Italy, finally!, restored my good nature. Friday was our one full day in Milan, and we had tickets to go to the Taste of Milan- a food and wine festival, with about 15 of Milan's highly respected restaurants serving mini entrees and enotecas pouring wines by the glass. The sun was shining as we headed to the festival and found it nearly empty.. Guess most people opted for the evening tickets, or were working- which was fine by us! The event was fantastic, and a great way to ease into the vacation. We spent 4 hours eating, drinking wine, and chatting with various wineries that were there pouring their wines. Not much to see in Milan- it really was like any big city. We did go over to the Duomo to take photos and eat gelato, but other than that, the festival was the highlight of Milan.

Saturday: We arrived in Venice around 1 pm, and boarded the vaporetto to take us to the hotel. The vaporetto's are the source of transportation in Venice (other than walking, of course) as the city is on the water. First impressions- the green of the water, the humidity in the air, the nagging feeling that this was all so surreal, the city was exactly how I've imagined and seen it in the movies. The warnings of getting lost in Venice is so true- the city is full of little streets, a maze of cobblestone, bridges at every turn. We were staying near St. Marks Square, something I wouldn't recommend as it was overwhelmingly full of tourists (mostly Americans). But the square--St Mark's Basilica, Doges Palace, the water 200 feet away, the gondolas bobbing in the water- picturesque indeed. Spent the day wandering through the city, taking photos.

Sunday: I got up a little early and got out into the city to explore before the cruise ships unloaded in the square. Wandered through St. Marks Basilica- it's byzantine architecture beautiful. Bought some art from street vendors, chatted up gondolier's, and took tons of photos- every window and bridge more photo worthy than the last. Scott and I met up for dinner that evening, and then went to a Vivaldi concert in a church.

Monday: Train to Florence was easy and uneventful. Found our pension and delighted in that we were near everything, yet far enough removed to have a neighborhood feel. Our hosts, Carmella and Pino, were charming and it was so fun to practice my Italian with Pino. Spent the majority of the day wandering the San Lorenzo market (bought a leather purse), having a light lunch in the square and soaking up the Florentine vibe. Our pension had a great deck, which both of our rooms opened onto, so we took advantage of this every evening, complete with cheese and bottles of wine.

Tuesday: We had reservations to the Academia in the morning; what a smart thing to reserve our

tickets ahead of time. For a few euro, our date and time was confirmed and there was no waiting in line. The star of this museum is the David of course; something you've seen so many times in books doesn't prepare you for what it's like to see it for real. I think I spent a good 30 minutes with the David alone, moving my place to around the statue, taking in the details and the very real feeling of this statue from the early 1500's. The day continued with a walk through of the Mercato Centrale, Florence's large market. Stalls and stalls of pastas, vegetables, butchers, cheese, and

other Italian goodies. I found a great little spot for lunch, Mario's, a predominately locals only spot. Mario's is only open for lunch, the menu is super small, and it's all communal dining. I was happy, and in heaven with the best zuppa di fagiole ever. Spent the evening on our patio, drinking wine and eating cheese before heading downstairs to the trattoria for dinner. Pino, our host, took us downstairs, poured us wine and instructed us to wait here! for the next table. Dinner was simple, delicious.

Wednesday: Maybe a little too much post dinner limoncello contributed to my throbbing headache this morning, so I was moving slowly. I finally got myself out to head over to Pitti Palace- a gallery

and gardens of the Medici family, located on the other side of the Arno river. Walking towards the

river, you are greeted by Ponte Vecchio-the oldest bridge in Florence, with its colorful windows. The Pitti Palace is full of art of the Medici family, the paintings were hung 2 or 3 high on nearly every wall. It was overwhelming, to say the least. The palace also included 7 apartments to view; rooms that were decorated with some of the original furnishings and information on how they were used. The fabrics and wall coverings were beautiful, the furniture regal and ornately detailed. When I had my fill of the art, I walked outside to the Boboli Gardens, a nearly 45 degree incline in every direction- hard to do with the sun beating down on my banging head! Since I was already on the other side of the Arno, I walked over to the Piazza Michealangelo, the original home to the David (it now houses a patina replica). The views of Florence were spectacular.

Thursday: Our last full in Florence, we had reservations to the Uffizi museum, another art museum of the, surprise!, Medici family. Phil and Paula were coming in from Siena to join us, and our reservation was at 1. Spent the morning wandering one last time through the mercato centrale, and hung in the Piazza near the museum, people watching and admiring the replicas of famous sculptures in a pavilion in the piazza.

The museum was comprised mostly of

religious art and portraits (which I'm not a fan of), so while I am glad we went, it wasn't a huge hit. The bright spots in the museum was seeing 'The Birth of Venus' (so beautiful) and a partially finished piece of Leonardo Di Vinci. All of the walking and digesting worked up our appetites, so everyone was interested in trying my secret spot, Mario's. It was just as the second time around. Phil and Paula headed back to our place to drink wine on the deck until the last bus was leaving to take them back to Siena. It was a fantastic last day in Florence, and I for one was a little sad to be leaving. I could definitely come back, rent an apartment for a month and just be in this fantastic city.

Friday begins Week 2 of the trip...

More Southern Love

Local honey, with honeycomb! One of my favorite things to bring home from travels..

Boiled, salted peanuts- a southern staple and gorgeous peaches-- both at a roadside stand.

Carl's amazing charcuterie projects... Wish we lived closer so I could apprentice with him.

How beautiful are the ornate details?

Dr. King's childhood home, a beautiful Victorian.

Family and Friends

Just returning from a week in Atlanta visiting the family, which also included a little side trip up to Asheville to visit friends. Venturing to the deep south in the middle of summer isn't the best laid plan, but it's a great opportunity to spend time with the kiddos without school interfering.

Here are some photos from our time together..

A trip to the Atlanta Zoo, and Aiden agreeing to be photographed- a feat all unto itself.

A day trip with Jasmine to the Martin Luther King Jr, Museum in downtown Atlanta- I had not been there since I was a freshman in college, and it's changed so much. I wish Dylan could have joined us, but he had a field trip to the water park already planned for that day. The changes made the the museum were such an amazing contrast to the small, and frankly sad, museum I had once visited- I was happy to see the rich history so prominently displayed.

The exhibits were full of historical events and newspaper articles, and were quite moving. It was nice to have an afternoon alone with my girl, and hopefully it's something that she looks back on fondly.

The new babe, Collin- I couldn't keep my hands and lips off this little baby. He's so very mellow, lovey, squishy and sweet. I could have easily stolen him away, brought him home to Seattle so I didn't have to share doting time. It's hard being the aunty who lives so far away.

My two days in Asheville went by so quickly and were full of catching up, delicious dining, and an afternoon at the Biltmore House. I had such a lovely time hanging out with Karen and Carl, and so happy to have a few days with them these past few summers. The Biltmore House was grand- built in the late 1890's, on something like 800 acres in the heart of Asheville. It's the Amercian version of a castle, with 250 rooms. The most interesting fact for me was that it only took 5 years to build. Five years is still a very long time for construction, I will grant you- but this property is massive, unbelievably ornate in its detailing and architectual style and constructed during a time without our modern building tools.

It was a fantastic time with those I hold dear to my heart. Time and space may make connecting a challenge sometimes, but I love that I can visit, with an ease and comfort guiding us together as if we all just saw one another last week.